Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-28
WITH TIE SNAKE KING.

1t was sultry August morning, and
John Matson was up early. He had 6
long ride before him to Pyramid, and hi;
young wife urged him to start with the
rising sun and return late in the after
noon, in order to avoid the midday heat
The Matson plantation stretched fol
miles along the Alabama river The near
est white neighbor was ten miles off, and
It took three hours to reach the village OF
Pyramid.
Matson and his wife stood on the broad
piazza, looking down the sloping lawn to
the road, where Black Tom was waiting
with the horse and buggy. Far away to
the right wreaths of dense fog indicated
the winding course Of the river. Not q
breath stirred the semi tropical foliage of
the trees, and the atmosphere was laden
with the perfumes of thousands of flowers
and aromatic plants.
"What does this mean''' said Matson,
as several negroes turned in from the road
and approached the house, bearing in
their arms limp and motionless figure.
ooh, John, it is a dead MANI ex-
claimed little Mrs. Matson.
The planter ran down to meet the men.
They were all his field hands, and he
knew every black face in the group
"Hello Sam, what is the matter? What
Is up2' he asked the leader.
''T'o tell de troof, marse boss" replied
Sam, nervOusly scratching his head, Use
SO plum done put out bout dis ting dat
dunno muffin. Dis yer white man muss
be sickerdead, dunno which. We foun'
him down by de landin', and we jest
brung him erlong."
SIS he dead?" gasped Mrs. Matson
mo, but he is unconscious" said her
husband, who had been examining the
stranger. We must take care Of him, of
course. hate TO go off to town now, but
/ can't help it. I'll wait an half hour or
SO and see what turns up.n
The man was carried to n large and
comfortable room and carefully put to
bed by Sam and another negro. Then
Mr.. Matson felt his pulse and took good
look at him.
The strange looking, sallow face, lean
to the point of emaciation, with the
tangled black hair around it, had weird
look with its background of white pill
lows. A small dose of brandy was forced
through the tightly closed mouth, and the
man suddenly opened his eyes They
were such shining black orbs that Sam
fell back, muttering:
$40 de Lawdr'
Half an hour later Matson went to his
wife and said:
"Well, must go. Aunt Lucy is look
ing after our patient, and you will do
what you can. The case does not require
a doctor. Some beef tea to-day and some
thing solid tomorrow will bring the fell
low up lie is nearly dead of exposure
and starvation.
''But who%'-
ooh, yes" answered Matson, "you
want to know who he is, where he is
from, and why he is in this fix. 1t is no
time to question him now He looks like
foreigner, a Cuban or perhaps gypsy.
He speaks a little English, and that is all
/ know. You need not be afraid of him.
He is as feeble as an infant, and is a little
withercd old chap with the queerest little
head in the world. 1t is long and narrow,
and looks more like snakes head than
anything else
''Oh, John, you brighten mer'
but it does, " remarked John. laugh
ing, "and now think of his snaky ewes
and his sinuous motion, it strikes me that
snaky is the best description that could be
given of him. Ighl 1t makes my flesh
crawl TO look az him. But that is neither
here nor there. When l get back III at
tend to him.
And giving his wife kiss, Matson ran
down to the buggy, jumped in, and dashed
off on his way to Pyramid.
Left alone, so far as the white faces We're
concerned, with mysterious stranger in
the house, Mrs. Matson felt peculiar
nervousness which she could not shake
of. For while she busted herself super
intending household affairs, but finally
She could not resist the temptation to
pass the door Of the sick mans room and
look in.
There he was, svarthy and wrinkled,
and looking more like a snake than ever.
The serpentine head raised itself with an
arching motion, and the little black eyes
spanked like beads rs poor Mrs. Matson
glanced into the room. AS for Aunt
Lucy, she followed her mistress into the
hall.
DE lawd hab mussy," she said, "but
Marse John outer stay at home stidder
trapesin' off ter town. Dat man in dar
skeer me to deff''
The lady of the house said something
reassuring ana went into the parlor, where
she vainly tried to amuSe herself in yari-
Gus ways.
GLOW time drags," she exclaimed. as
she went to window and looked cut in
the direction Of the river.
Did she see a snake baskinC in the sun
shine directly under the window? She
looked inteDtly for a moment. 1t was a
thick, ugly looking moccasin, fully five
feet long. While she was gazing the
vicious intruder raised its head and re-
turned her stare with look of intelli-
gence.
1t was moccaSin in locality, and Mrs
Matson did not care {. snap of her finger
for few snakes around her front door.
She was accustomed to find them in her
flower beds, and sometimes they made
their.way into the house, but on this PSF
ucular morning She was not herself She
turned her head and saw another snake.
With an uncomfortable shudder the
nervous little lady walked across the hall
into another room and looked out toward
the garden. What was that dark thing
Just inside the fence. There could be no
doubt about it. 1t was another snake.
BY this time Mrs. Matson's blood was
up. Calling Sally, one Of the servants.
she sent her out to the kitchen TO order
the cook s boy Joe TO make circuit of the
house and kill every snake at sight.
"Joe done gone ter de fell" she said.
San COOK already killed two big snakes
In de kitchen, an done shet de do. I see
five Of 'um in &c yard an one under de-
steps"
The situation began TO assume serious
aspect. Mrs. Matson at once had all the
doors closed, and proceeded 10 inspect the
surroundings from every window in the
house.